Babies and Bathwaters (or: Facebook, part II)

About a month ago, I wrote a post on why I wanted to "leave" Facebook.  My main reason for doing so was that I had lost count of how many times I had become incredibly frustrated and disillusioned over conflicts and futile arguments that had resulted from trying to dialogue with other professing Christians about sometimes-weighty matters.  Well, I am slowly learning that for some reason, electronic correspondence (incl. Facebook) is not an adequate way to resolve conflict.  Also, I am learning that engaging in these sorts of fruitless debates is too much of a temptation for me, and it brings out some nastiness in me which I don't want to foster or waste time on.  A face-to-face conversation of disagreement, sure... but without the elements of non-verbal communication inherent in personal conversations, these "comment" sessions often quickly devolve into a sort of one-upmanship that I do not think honors the Name or unity of Christ.

So, I had decided to throw out the bathwater.  Then, I heard a little cry...

Well it wasn't really a cry, just more Facebook comments.  Only this time, they were kind.  People — actual "friends", not merely Facebook "acquaintances" — were telling me that they would miss staying in touch with me, and that really made me feel cared for and appreciated.  Furthermore, I found that if I could just say NO to my many temptations to "set people straight" (probably an impossibility in most cases, anyway), that I could actually enjoy some benefits from the FB.

So, in a sense, I'm back on Facebook.  And in a sense, I'm not.  For while I can't guarantee that "aggressive Ric" won't come out swingin' from time to time, I can promise that I'll choose my battles carefully, not cast my pearls before swine, and over all this, put on love...

Colossians 3:12-17 (ESV)

 

¹² Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Something that encouraged me today...

...I hope it encourages you, too:

Letter Re: The Larger Questions

OTG News... a great resource

I've been reading/listening to Off The Grid News' newsletter and podcasts for a few years now, and although they are a business (from which I receive no financial interest), and do have to sell products in order to stay in business, I have come to appreciate them as not only a reputable source of preparedness products and services, but advocates of sound and very practical Biblical theology, as well.

Therefore, I would like to wholeheartedly recommend their resources and reports to you, dear reader.  Please do yourself and your family a favor, and educate yourself in these areas.  You won't regret it, I promise.

Armed Bystander Report

Today's installment is the story of a fine, upstanding and courageous gentleman, calmly defending his home.  Way to go, Mr. Jones!

92-year-old Verona man shoots intruder at home | NKY.com

The Kingdom of Heaven Suffereth Violence

DISCLAIMER:

I realize that some readers will probably disagree with the reasoning in this post. Maybe most readers will disagree, perhaps vehemently, and accuse me of all kinds of weird stuff. I'm not weird or whacked out, Just trying to come to terms with the very-real "good vs. evil" in this world we occupy, and come to terms with these things from a "whole of Scripture"-perspective. I still love Jesus, and I still like puppies, small children and bacon. And ice cream... too much so. But I digress... on to the post.

_______________________

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves"  — Jesus (Matthew 10:16)

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."  — Jesus (Matthew 11:12)

"When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils."  — Jesus (Luke 11:21-22)


Violence is a very difficult subject for anyone to discuss, let alone Christ-followers.  Lately, I've been really wrestling with this subject.  When I was a child (ca 1978), the only time I had to consider the subject was when I was "plinking" in the desert with the men-folk kin-folk (Dad, brother, Uncle, cousins, etc).  I was educated on the fact that the rifle or revolver I held in my hands (no more than a .22, then) had the power to end a loved one's life, if not handled properly.  But the thought of ever having to use violence to defend a life — except for the occasional playground pugilism — never really camped out in my mind.  I mean, back then, there weren't random and sudden shootings in theatres or churches or schools or playgrounds or restaurants or...  you get the idea.

Then I joined the Army (1986), and was taught — nay, drilled — to live out the following oath:

"I, Richard J. Calvi, do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."


So I became personally acquainted with this idea of antithesis; that there were good guys (us soldiers) and there were bad guys (in this case, enemies of the Constitution), and that there was a big, solid line between the two.  To quote Jack Ryan in "Clear and Present Danger": "Not 'black and white'... right and wrong".  At that juncture, my theology was such that the world was becoming an increasingly dark-hearted place (and this was back in the 80's/90's!), but that when the LORD came back to "rapture His people", He would rescue us from all of this.  Until then, we had to just try to be a good example to — and evangelize — the world.

Before too long, I started growing a bit leary of "Left Behind" eschatology, and started paying more attention to things Jesus said, like "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."  I started really scrutinizing and "chewing on" issues like, what should be the Christ-follower's response when the authorities mentioned in Romans 13 have become decidedly wicked?  What should I do, for example, when I'm in a public place and some worthless man walks in and starts shooting bystanders?  I was recently involved in a Facebook dialogue recently with someone I've never met, who asserted that if he were in a scenario like the Aurora theatre that tragic eveing, he would pray, and be ready to die.

Really?  Just acquiesce to a psychopath, just like that?  What about the "women and children" he could/should have rescued, if he was willing to "interfere" with the danger at hand, in Christ's name?  (John 15:13)

I believe I would pray in that situation, too, but the prayer woud more resemble King David's:

"Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight..." (Psalm 144:1), or that of Benjamin Martin
Yes, I would pray for about as much time as it took Nehemiah to pray before replying to king Artaxerxes...

And then I would take aim and shoot back, bringing my training to bear on the evil in our midst.  It's a risk, I know, but in my mind it's better than watching the defenseless die unnecessarily.

There.  I said it.  So help me, Lord.

"DIY" (or rather, "Family Autonomy"*)

Today, I took another "baby step" toward what I will call "family autonomy"*.  I fixed a digital thermometer that was given to me by my Uncle at his garage sale:

*"Family Autonomy" refers both to the freedom we have in Christ to experience the Kingdom of God, which He is living out thorough us daily, AND the responsibility we bear to rely less and less on other "systems" to accomplish what we ought to be able to do for ourselves. You'll be seeing this term more often in these posts. It stands in contrast to terms like "self-reliance" or "self-sufficiency", which imply humanistic thought, and fall short of what we're aiming for: bearing our own burdens and helping the body of Christ to bear theirs, while relying solely on Christ for all provision and sustenance.

Armed Bystander Report

Today's heroic incident took place in San Antonio, TX

Armed bystander stops stabbing outside school|WOAI: San Antonio News

"Semper Paratus"

Giving where there's a NEED

How many of us give from our income, only to those organizations that give us a benefit in some way?  We hear a pastor on the radio who preaches a message that we find meaningful, so we give to his ministry in order to perpetuate it.  We give to our local church because we like the children's programs and worship music.  We give to charitable organizations because they give us a tax benefit at the end of each year.

But when was the last time you gave to someone because THEY needed to be given TO?  When did you last give to someone with no thought for yourself?  When was the last time your "left hand did not know what your right hand was doing"?  Jesus said that's the only way we get rewarded from our Father in heaven.  And He said those are the only kind of rewards would never, ever fade away, never get "spent up".

Do it today.  Ask the Lord "To whom would you have me give today?" -- then, do it immediately and anonymously.  You'll be blessed in ways you never imagined.

Why I'm leaving Facebook

I've been weighing the decision to leave Facebook for quite some time now.  At first, it seemed to be a great way to connect with friends and family, and to get better acquainted with people I've yet to call "friend".  Over time, however, FB gradually became a source of (unnecessary) frustration for me, such that it began to outweigh the supposed "benefits".  I've lost count of the times I've banged my head against the proverbial wall of conversation with people who don't know how to have a civil discourse (or disagreement) about subjects we may not agree on... so why would I "argue" with a "face-person" in a virtual world?  Why would I frustrate myself like that?

Basically, FB pales when compared to the joy of my real (i.e. face-to-face) relationships.  I could give lots more pithy reasons, but it's not really necessary.  I'm done.

You can reach me at riccalvi-at-gmail-dot-com (you know what I mean), or at 406-2-seven-two-2584.

Of course, I'll still be blogging here... it's just that now, I'll have more time to do so!  :-)

Comments, anyone?

Thought you knew about Election probability?

I stumbled across this info, and found it really informative:

Election map